1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting system for a surveillance camera, and, more particularly, to a mounting system for an in-ceiling surveillance camera that must be installed with access only from below the ceiling.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ease of installation is a very important aspect of any kind of equipment mounts, especially when a device such as an in-ceiling surveillance camera must be installed with only access from below the ceiling. Once a hole has been cut into the ceiling panel, the installer wants to wire up the camera, insert it into the opening, and fasten it from below with confidence that it will have engaged the ceiling panel securely.
Some prior art recessed mounts require the user to use and/or provide additional loose hardware to secure the mount to the ceiling panel. This loose hardware is inconvenient to handle and can fall and be lost. Other prior art recessed mounts require the installer to use tools to tighten fasteners inside the ceiling opening during mount insertion, which can be difficult due to restricted access. Some prior art recessed mounts feature complex clamp mechanisms which may or may not ensure full engagement when installed with no access above the ceiling panel. Finally, some prior art uses clamps that expand into position but must be deflected by the edge of the ceiling opening during installation, which requires more insertion force and can damage or disturb the ceiling panel.
Various camera mounts of the prior art are illustrated in FIGS. 1-13. The above-ceiling ring shown in FIG. 1, and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,423, has the disadvantages of requiring access above the ceiling panel to position the ring, and the need for loose hardware. An above-ceiling fastener is illustrated in FIG. 2. Depending on how skilled the installer is, the above-ceiling fastener might not require access above the ceiling panel, but the fastener still features loose hardware.
The hard ceiling can shown in FIG. 3 appears to rely on wing tabs secured by bolts from the inside of the can. It may be possible that the wing tabs can be translated vertically to accommodate different ceiling panel thicknesses. However, a disadvantage is that the wing tabs cannot be attached until the can has been inserted through the ceiling opening. Another disadvantage is that the fasteners must be accessed either from above the ceiling, or through the bottom of the can.
The drop ceiling mount of FIGS. 4 and 5a-b is comprised of two rings, one that rests on the top of the ceiling panel around the perimeter of the ceiling opening, and one that supports the camera housing via three radial bolts. A discontinuity or gap in the top ring allows the top ring to be inserted from below the ceiling, and the bolts engaging the lower ring are accessible from below, so no top access is required. However, the system contains loose hardware which is very inconvenient for the installer.
The spring clamp approach shown in FIGS. 6-7 works from below, and, once assembled, eliminates the need for loose hardware. However, the spring clamps must be deflected inward when passing through the ceiling opening, exerting force on the edge of the opening and therefore on the entire ceiling panel. For some materials such as an acoustic tile or even sheet rock, this could result in damage and/or displacement of the ceiling panel.
The recessed mounted housing of FIGS. 8 and 9a-b is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,432. In addition to the disadvantage of damage/displacement of the tile due to insertion force, this design also relies on the clamp material having several critical properties: radial flexibility to allow insertion through the ceiling hole, elastic memory to spring back once inserted, and high strength to resist stripping of the bolt threads and collapse of the clamp as the bolt is tightened.
An apparatus for mounting a surveillance camera is shown in FIG. 10 and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,691. This in-ceiling backbox design includes a flex clamp that is similar to the one shown in FIGS. 8 and 9a-b. 
A fixed support for a recessed mounting luminaire is shown in FIG. 11 and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,520. This luminaire clamp arrangement works from below the ceiling panel with no entry forces. However, the mechanism adds complexity and cost, and being spring-actuated, it does not exert as much clamping force as can be achieved by a bolt.
Another arrangement for mounting a surveillance camera is shown in FIG. 12 and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,403. This approach avoids loose hardware and exertion of significant forces on the ceiling opening during insertion, but does not ensure positive capture of the ceiling panel as the only force to rotate the clamp 12 into the outboard position is the rotation of the bolt 13. Therefore, in the case of a “blind” installation, where access above the ceiling panel is prohibited, there is no verification that the clamp rotated completely into position, and thus an unexpected loss of clamp connection is possible.
The in-ceiling surveillance housing shown in FIG. 13 and disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0127911 includes a cam-guided clamp foot.
What is neither disclosed nor suggested in the prior art is a recessed mounting system that overcomes the above-described problems and disadvantages of the prior art recessed mounts.